Liya Kebede (born January 3, 1978)[1] is an
Ethiopianmodel, maternal health advocate,
clothing designer and actress who has appeared on the cover of US
Vogue twice. According to Forbes, Kebede was eleventh-highest-paid
top model in the world in 2007.[2] Since
2005, Kebede has served as the WHO's Ambassador for Maternal,
Newborn and Child Health.[3]

Contents

Biography

Kebede was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.[4]
A film director spotted her while she was attending Lycee Guebre
Mariam and introduced her to a Frenchmodeling agent. After completing her
studies, she moved to France to pursue work through a Parisian agency. Kebede later
relocated to New
York City. She has remarked that the modeling industry in
Ethiopia is quite different from the catwalks on which she is now
ubiquitous. For example, in Ethiopia she had to provide her own
shoes for each runway show.

Modeling
career

Kebede's big break came when Tom Ford asked her for an exclusive contract
for his Gucci Fall/Winter 2000
fashion show[4].
Kebede's popularity in the fashion industry sky-rocketed when she
appeared on the cover the May 2002 edition of Paris Vogue
which dedicated the entire issue to her.[5]

Kebede is one of a very few African models featured in major
fashion photo shoots and runway shows [8].
According to Conor Kennedy, in 2003 a booker at Elite Model
Management,

"It's like there's only room for one very successful black
model at a time. For the past year it's been Kebede"[8].

In 2005, Kebede was appointed as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Maternal,
Newborn and Child Health[9].
She also appeared in a group montage on a rare (as of recent years)
group montage of up and coming supermodels.

In summer of 2006 she was also one of the very few non-white
models to have been given a cover of American Vogue, the
issue highlighted her humanitarian work.

In July 2007, earning at an estimated total of $2.5 million in
the past 12 months, Forbes named her eleventh in the list
of the World's 15 Top-Earning Supermodels[10]. In
2008, Kebede was featured on one of the four covers of Vogue
Italia's all Black Issue.

In 2009, Kebede starred in the film-adaption of the bestselling
autobiography Desert
Flower by former supermodel Waris Dirie. The film recounts Dirie's
childhood in Somalia, her rise to stardom and subsequent awareness
campaign against female circumcision. It premiered at the Venice
Film Festival and received a standing ovation.[11]
Kebede has also had minor roles in two films: The Good Shepherd and
Lord of
War.[12]

Philanthropy

In 2005, Kebede was appointed WHO Goodwill Ambassador for
Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.[13] She
then founded the Liya Kebede Foundation, whose mission is to reduce
maternal, newborn and child mortality in Ethiopia and around the
world. The Foundation funds advocacy and awareness raising projects
as well as providing direct support for low-cost technologies,
community-based education, and training and medical programs.[14]

Kebede has traveled to Ethiopia to support maternal health
projects on multiple occasions. In 2009, she worked with the Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation as part of their Living Proof
Project.[15]
Kebede served as a High-Level adviser for the Center for Global
Development’s 2009 report "Start with a Girl: A New Agenda for
Global Health."[16]

Kebede writes for the Huffington Post[17] about
maternal and child health and has been featured in Vogue and on the
Daily Beast.[18] She
is also part of the Champions for an HIV Free Generation, an
organization of African leaders led by former Botswana President Festus Mogae. The
Champions advocate for increased HIV prevention and treatment
efforts in Africa.[19]

Lemlem

Kebede launched Lemlem, a clothing line, in 2008. Lemlem, which
means “to bloom” in Amharic, features hand-spun, woven and
embroidered women and children’s clothing.[20]
Kebede founded the line to help preserve the art of traditional
weaving and bring sustainable economic development to Ethiopia .
Lemlem is sold at Barney’s, J.Crew, Net-a-Porter.com and numerous
boutique shops.[21]
Kebede says she hopes this will part a sea of change for her home
country. "It's wonderful to be able to donate and help people," she
says.[22]

Personal
life

Kebede married Ethiopian hedge fund manager Kassy Kebede[4]
in 2000 and they have two children together; son Suhul 8 years old
born in 2001 and daughter Raee 4 years old born in 2005.[23] As of
2007, the family resides in New York City.

Quotes

"Honestly, I wish I could've lived in their time. They had so
much fun." – Liya on the supermodel era, Vogue